Staff at the Child Study and Development Center

Administrative Staff

Lisa Ranfos,MS
Executive Director
Child Study and Development CenterAssistant Clinical Professor
College of Health and Human Services, Human Development & Family Studieslisa.ranfos@unh.edu

I am the Executive Director of the Child Study and Development Center and Assistant Clinical Faculty Professor in the Human Development and Family Studies department at the University of New Hampshire. I have been involved in early childhood education for over 20 years working as a classroom teacher, administrator of programs, teacher of teacher educators, and consultant and trainer to early childhood professionals.

I am passionate about the experiences that are offered children while in the youngest years of their life. I work with teachers to intentionally prepare environments that welcome and support children and families, while assisting each child in their progression of development. This work extends to the opportunities that are offered to our pre-service teachers as they engage in meaningful experiences to prepare them for their careers with diverse children and families.

I am a graduate of Wheelock College in Boston, MA where I earned a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. I live in Allenstown NH with my husband VJ and our three boys, VJ, Tyler, and Chase.

I have been in the early childhood education field for 10 years. My previous experiences include working as a classroom teacher at a lab school, working in state government on early childhood quality initiatives, and training and educating early childhood professionals across the state. I am passionate about building leadership capacity within early childhood professionals and providing intentional and meaningful experiences for children and families.

I completed my B.S., in Family Studies with a specialization in Child Advocacy and Family Policies, at the University of New Hampshire and my M.Ed in Early Childhood Education and Administration, at Champlain College. I hold a NH Early Childhood Master Professional credential with the following endorsements: Workshop Trainer, Faculty, Individual Mentor, and Program Consultant.

A few of my professional interests include early childhood leadership, intentional classroom environments, including outdoor environments, inquiry based/emergent curriculum, relationship and strength based practices, and social and emotional development of young children.

I currently live in Pittsfield with my husband Jared and chocolate lab Bruin.

I am CSDC's Administrative Assistant and I concentrate on admissions, our website, daily operations, child, parent & staff files and helping you in any way I can!

I graduated with a BFA in Interior Design from James Madison University in Virginia and immediately thereafter worked as the Leader of Research and Development with a Sustainable Architecture firm in New Jersey. After moving to New England, I have expanded my interests and when my schedule allows it I take classes with the UNH Thompson School in the Culinary Arts program. Needless to say, I love to cook and share my cupcake creations with my co-workers. I run a small baking business and photography business on the side and enjoy several hobbies pertaining to art and music.

Teaching Staff

Since 2007 I have been the Lead Teacher in the Nursery 3 Program at CSDC. I have enjoyed working with children and families for 33 years as an early childhood educator, parent educator, and a child and family therapist. Priot to coming to CSDC I was a Preschool Director of the early childhood program at Temple Israel in Portsmouth, NH for 11 years. I hold a Masters degree in early childhood education from Temple University.

A strong professional interest of mind is integrating the arts, in particular creative drama and movement, throughout the curriculum. I believe the arts are a powerful way of promoting self-confidence, critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills in children. I also enjoy working with parents about their hopes, dreams and concerns they have for their children.

My family and I are long-term residents of Portsmouth, NH and our daughter, Rachel, is a recent college graduate. I have a strong interest in the theater: I presently study acting and perform in Newburyport, MA, and my daughter is a theater major. Other favorite activities of mine are gardening, reading and spending time with family and friends.

I graduated from Keene State College in 2011 with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a B.A. in Psychology. I then came directly to UNH and graduated in 2013, receiving a M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Child Development. I hold a NH Teaching Certification for preschool to grade three and a NH Early Childhood Teacher Credential (level 6) with a foundational level 2 Infant and Toddler Endorsement.

I have always been passionate about working with young children. I have worked in various educational settings with many different age groups. I previously worked at the Keene State College Child Development Center as a student teacher and substitute teacher. I also worked part-time here at the CSDC in the infant classroom while working on my graduate degree.

My professional interests include developing collaborative relationships with families and colleagues, children’s social and emotional development, infant and toddler brain development, and the exploration of natural materials and environments.

I graduated from Rivier University in May 2014 with my B.A. in Human Development, Early Childhood Education and General Special Education. I currently hold my NH teaching certification in both Early Childhood and General Special Education. CSDC has been a part of my educational journey thought out my life. As a child I attended CSDC beginning in the infant room and continuing through the kindergarten program. I also have worked as a teaching assistant in the infant through kindergarten programs for four summers. In addition to my work at CSDC I have been a part of the Landry Early Childhood Center, The Goddard School, Ledge Street Elementary School and Grinnell Elementary School as a practicum student and student teacher.

My professional interests include the impact that social and emotional development has on the lives of young children, embracing and including diversity in the classroom setting, and creating an environment that respects both the individuality and uniqueness of every child and family.

I have been teaching here at the CSDC since 1990 with the first sixteen years being in the Preschool I classroom with three and four year old children. In August of 2006 I looped to the Toddler Classroom where I am currently teaching. It is here where I found my passion and my commitment to the education of all toddlers as I partner with families as well my teaching team. Each and every day the children bring a smile to my face as they master a new skill, make a new discovery or help a friend in need.

I completed my B.S. in Family Studies with a Nursery School - Kindergarten concentration in 1990 from UNH. I am a member of NAEYC, and hold NH Early Childhood Master Teacher Level 2 Credential, Infant & Toddler Intermediate Level Credential and Early Childhood Master Professional-Individual Mentor Credential.

My professional interests include the Specials Rights of all children, diversity and anti-bias curriculum. I am committed to partnering with parents when it comes to the care and education of their children.

I am committed to and passionate about the social and emotional development of all children and specifically how that relates to their ability to problem solve and resolve conflicts. Communication and conversation are the cornerstones to developing the skills needed to accomplish this.

My name is Briana and I am excited to be the p-3 kindergarten student teacher this year! I look forward to getting to know each child individually as well as their families! A few things to know about me are that I love laughing; food and have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember!

Children have a contagious curiosity that helps me to question and ponder things I had never thought of before. I hope to always make the children in this class feel loved, respected and appreciated for all of their strengths and uniqueness. I am eager to learn alongside them through this next year!

I began teaching in 1993 and I am fortunate to have been a part of the CSDC community since 1995. I have my M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in special education from UNH and hold a NH state teaching license for Kindergarten through Grade 3. My time at the CSDC began in the Kindergarten classroom as a Graduate Intern. Other than 3 years as a teacher in the Preschool II classroom, I have been a Lead teacher in the Kindergarten classroom for all my CSDC career.

My professional interests include helping children learn and talk about diversity, developing partnerships with parents, utilizing an emergent/inquiry based curriculum to help children explore and make sense of their worlds, the development of literacy skills in children, the use of storytelling within the curriculum, documenting children's meaning making in the classroom, and creating inclusive environments for all young children

I have been a Lead Teacher in the Nursery programs since the fall of 2007. Prior to coming to CSDC I spent 6 ½ years as the Director of The Children’s Center in Portland Maine. I learned so much as a Director and being on the administrative end, I gained new insights into how to work best with young children. Prior to my work at T.C.C., I was a teacher at a lovely Reggio/Project Approach based program in San Francisco.

I received my M.A in Early Childhood Education from San Francisco University. My undergraduate degree was in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Boston University. I have found both of my educational experiences to come in very handy in the classroom.

I live in Arundel Maine with my husband Steve and our two young children Elias and Isabel. Our practice children are a set of Labradors named Amos and Nellie. As a family we enjoy going to the beach, hearing live music, gardening, taking walks and visiting farms.

I have been working in the field of Early Childhood Education for approximately ten years now. In that time I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of different settings and with many different age groups. This experience has helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the growth and development that occurs in early childhood.

I completed my Bachelor of Science degree at Daemen College in NY. I studied both Early Childhood and Special Education there. My work in Special Education was primarily focused on social and emotional development. I continue to be interested in investigating ways that social and emotional development impact learning.

I began my professional career at Families First Health and Support Center in 2005 where I provided care for multi-age groups. I taught in a kindergarten classroom at Little Harbour School before coming to CSDC in 2011. I have taught in Preschool 1 and 2 before moving to Kindergarten in 2014.

I graduated from Roger Williams University in 2004 with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and Political Science. I pursued further education at the University of New Hampshire where I earned a Masters of Early Childhood Education in 2009. I hold credentials as a NH Early Childhood Teacher as well as an N-3 teaching certificate.

My professional interests include the development of emergent literacy skills, social and emotional development, inclusion of diverse cultures and families, and incorporating nature into the classroom. I strive to create a classroom environment that promotes creative exploration and respect for others. I am excited to join the CSDC community and look forward to the adventures to come!

I attended the University of Maine where I received a BS in Child Development/Family Relations in 1994. I also hold a NH K-8 teaching certificate. I worked as a site-director at PEAK (Program for Elementary Aged Kids) at the Community Child Care Center, as well as a kindergarten and preschool teacher, before coming to CSDC in 2001.

I have been involved in the Growing a Green Generation gardening project since 2002 as a volunteer, curriculum liaison and assumed the role of project coordinator in 2007. I have presented locally, regionally and nationally disseminating how teachers use the CSDC Learning Garden to teach curriculum, diversity and social collaboration.

My professional interests include photography, the use of puppetry in social storytelling, gardening, and using the natural world to support and extend curriculum.

I graduated from UNH in May 2009 with my BS. in Family Studies and my NH certification to teach Preschool – 3rd grade along with a minor in Deaf studies. I spent all four of my undergraduate years working at CSDC in various capacities, from teaching assistant, to intern, and then student teaching in Kindergarten. I joined the full-time staff in 2009, initially in the preschool classroom and now with the infants. In 2012 I graduated with a Master’s degree at Educational Leadership with a specialization in Early Childhood Education from UNH.

My professional interests include partnering with families, learning alongside children and fostering a respectful classroom community through large group times, games and activities. Along with this I am also interested in the social-emotional development of young children and supporting children to learn, play and resolve conflicts together in meaningful ways.

I was born in Concord, NH, grew up in Bow, NH. I have a diverse cultural background from growing up in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Florida, and Georgia. In 2010, I earned my B.S. degree was earned from Colby-Sawyer College with a focus in Early Childhood Education; I also hold a NH teaching certification for ages preschool-grade 3. During my studies I had a wonderful opportunity to be both practicum student as well as a teacher at Windy Hill Lab School in the Nursery at Colby-Sawyer College. Prior to joining CSDC in 2012, I taught Nursery through Kindergarten at various schools in New Hampshire as both a teacher and intern.

My professional interests include supporting young children’s literacy skills, drama, technology, art, and mentoring the UNH interns as they work with the students to facilitate their educational careers.

I live in the beautiful city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. My personal interests include painting, yoga, dance, hiking, and Zumba.

I have always had a love for being around young children and realized at a young age that it would be my life's work. I graduated from Plymouth State University in the spring of 2013 with a B.S. in Early Childhood Studies and was selected as the recipient of the PSU Outstanding Early Childhood Studies Major Award. I spent time at the PSU Center for Young Children and Families as a substitute teacher where I worked with children in various classrooms from the ages of 1-6 years old. After I graduated, I quickly began working at the Seacoast Community School in Portsmouth, NH where I was a lead teacher in a toddler classroom, working with children from the ages of 12-24 months old.

My professional interests include big body play among young children, sensory play and development, and implementing a child-initiated curriculum in the classroom. My personal interests and hobbies include singing, camping, live music, quilting, and working on puzzles.

I graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. in Family Studies with a Young Child concentration and certification to teach Nursery School and Kindergarten in 2000. I hold credentials as a NH Master Teacher and Master Professional with endorsements for Workshop Trainer and Individual Mentor.

I began my professional career at CSDC in the Toddler room in the summer of 2000, looped up to Preschool 1, and now teach again in the Infant, Toddler and Preschool Programs. I have also taught through the UNH’s Division of Continuing Education and presented at classes in the Family Studies Department and at workshops.

My professional interests include supporting the exploration of diversity and family culture, incorporating sign language with young children and its effect on language acquisition with Infants and Toddlers and use of language with Toddlers and Preschoolers, creating language rich environments to support early literacy skills, the respect of young children through fostering independence and developing self help skills, and examining how physical environments affect children's learning.

I live in Gonic with my husband, Rob, and our three children- Emma, Parker and Lily.

I graduated from UNH in May of 2011 with a B.S. in Family Studies and an emphasis on the Young Child as well as a NH state certification to teach preschool- grade 3. Throughout my time as an undergraduate I worked at the CSDC holding many different roles in each of the Center’s classrooms.

In August 2007 I began as work-study in the infant program and progressed from work-study to internships and finally student teaching while moving though each of the programs. In the year between completing my undergraduate degree and returning to the CSDC in 2012, I worked for Bright Horizons in an Infant Classroom as well as observed many centers for early childhood education in the state of Connecticut. There is truly no place like the CSDC and I am very excited to be back.

My professional interests include providing challenges for children’s gross motor development, supporting individual growth towards independence through self-help skills as well and fostering a passion for literacy by integrating writing, reading and representation into many different areas of the classroom.

I have enjoyed being both an infant and then a toddler teacher at CSDC where I have been working since August of 2007. I have a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Advocacy from Granite State College (CLLL) and a NH Early Childhood Master Teacher Credential. I am currently pursuing my Post Baccalaureate degree in Special Education and Child Development.

I have worked with young children for over twenty years in various child care centers from the west coast to the east, spending six years as an infant teacher at Community Child Care Center in Portsmouth, N.H.

My professional interests include working as a team to create environments that encourage infants and toddlers to explore, create, and discover each other and the world around them. I also strive to encourage connections between families and teachers, children and teachers, and teaching teams, so that open discourse, sharing of diverse backgrounds, and a trusting atmosphere is achieved. My interests outside of work include spending time with my husband and our three children, as well as gardening, reading, and cooking.

I joined the staff at CSDC in October 1996. I have been honored to be the multi-classroom teacher working with Infants up through Kindergarten for fourteen years, as well as Assistant Teacher in the toddler and Preschool 1 classrooms.

I have my Associates Degree in General Studies from Granite State College and I am currently working on my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood with a minor focusing on children with Special Needs. I received my Early Childhood Credential as a Lead Teacher 1 in 2010 and am a member of NAEYC.

My professional interests include sign language, community sing, photography, documentation, and childnre's literature. When I am not at CSDC I enjoy cooking and entertaining, antiquing and restoring old furniture, reading a good book (especially Nicholas Sparks) shopping and going for long walks in the woods.

I received my B.A. from Lasell College in Early Childhood Education in May 2001. I enjoy working with children around the areas of self identity and diversity. I am interested in the process that children go through to create theories about who they are. It is very important for me to help to connect home and school for the children in my classroom. I also enjoy the looping process and the continuity of working together with children and families.

Since joining the staff at the CSDC in 2001, I taught for a number of years in the infant/toddler program before taking on the Lead Teacher position in Preschool 1 and eventually looping up with many of the children to Preschool 2 in 2011.

My professional interests include attending workshops around areas of diversity, the role that language rich environments play in classrooms, photography, documentation, and presenting workshops. I hold NH Child Credentials as an Early Childhood Master Teacher and Master Professional.

Knowledge for Healthy Living

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